From the Kitchen: Homemade Elderberry Syrup and Elderberry Gummy Bears

Is it just me, or is the flu worse this year than normal?!  With 2 family members with asthma and an infant in the house, I am super paranoid this year!  Any of the 3 of them are likely to end up hospitalized if they catch the flu due to their health conditions.  We are being extra careful this flu season, which has meant making a few changes (in addition to getting our flu shots): we remove our shoes at the door to avoid tracking germs across the floor; we all wash our hands immediately when returning home from being outside or in public, and we are staying home as much as physically possible to minimize our exposure.  This means no playgrounds or indoor play areas; switching off which of us goes to church to keep the kids out of childcare; and eating at home as much as possible to avoid public places.  

I recently learned about elderberry syrup and its natural immunity-boosting properties.  I am not normally one for "natural" remedies but, like I said, I am desperate to keep my family flu-free, so I figured it can't hurt anything.  You can buy elderberry syrup pre-made (Nature's Way and Gaia Herbs are two popular brands), but it is easy and less expensive to make at home - and you can control the quality of the ingredients by using all organic.

I'm not taking the elderberry syrup since I'm breastfeeding (there isn't any known contraindication, but there also aren't studies proving it's safe, so I'm abstaining), and baby M can't have any since she's under 1 and it contains honey...but hubs and C are going to take a daily dose for the remainder of flu season.  

Lots of people take it in syrup form, but that seemed potentially messy with a 3-year-old (it's dark purple); when I found out how easy it was to make gummy bears out of it, that seemed like the obvious method for us - I knew C would jump at the chance to have a piece of "candy" daily!

You probably won't be able to find some of the ingredients (especially dried elderberries) locally, but luckily they are sold online!

Elderberry Syrup

Yield: 2 cups (approximately 32 1-tablespoon adult doses or 96 1-teaspoon children's doses; makes a one-month supply for one adult; you may wish to double or triple this recipe if making for a family)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dried organic elderberries (Frontier is a well-known brand)

1 organic cinnamon stick

2 teaspoons organic dried ginger root

4 whole organic cloves or 1/4 teaspoon ground organic cloves

2 cups water

1 cup raw organic honey

Put the dried elderberries, spices, and 2 cups of water in a small saucepan (uncovered) and bring to a boil.  Cover with a lid and reduce heat to a simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until the liquid reduces by half.  Remove from heat and allow to cool until warm.  Use a strainer to remove the berries and cinnamon stick while pouring the liquid into a glass jar.  Stir in 1 cup of honey.  

Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container (it should last 6-8 weeks).

Dosing:

For maintenance/preventative: adults - 1 tablespoon daily; children: 1 teaspoon daily

During illness: increase frequency to every 2-3 hours (using same doses as above)

Note: should not be given to children under 1 year, as it contains honey.  No studies exist on the effects on breastfeeding or pregnant women, so they should refrain from use as well.

If your kids don't like taking it straight (from a spoon or medicine cup), try mixing it into applesauce!  Or if you want to take the foolproof approach like me, make it into gummy bears :)

Elderberry Gummy Bears

Yield: 105 approx 1" gummy bears

Ingredients:

2 cups elderberry syrup (see recipe above)

3 tablespoons grass-fed gelatin

Oil spray (coconut, vegetable, etc.) - for greasing molds

Silicone gummy bear molds (these are slightly larger than other gummy bear molds)

Warm 2 cups of elderberry syrup (the whole recipe prepared per above) in a small saucepan, being careful not to boil.  Sprinkle the gelatin powder over the syrup, allowing it to fully soak (will no longer appear white).  Use a whisk to stir in the gelatin until smooth.  

Spray the gummy bear molds lightly with an oil spray to prevent sticking (I did not do this the first time and mine stuck to the molds!) and place on a cookie sheet or other hard surface to allow for easy transport after molds are filled.  Use a dropper to fill each gummy bear mold with the gelatin syrup mixture, placing in the refrigerator for 2 hours to set.  

Gently remove each gummy bear from the molds and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Dosing:

For maintenance/preventative: adults - 3 gummy bears daily; children: 1 gummy bear daily

During illness: increase frequency to every 2-3 hours (using same doses as above)

DIY: Two Fixes for a Motorola Video Baby Monitor that Stops Working

Video baby monitors have a remarkable tendency to break on you, which is a shame considering how expensive they are and how much parents rely on them!   We have a Motorola video baby monitor that we purchased in 2014, so it's well out of warranty.  It has worked great for the last 3.5 years and we added a second camera for baby M in 2017.  Our monitor is Motorola model MBP36BU (the model number is on the bottom of the camera), but the two fixes below should work for most Motorola video baby monitors (and maybe other brands as well. 

Fix #1 - Parent Console Stops Holding a Charge

About a year ago, the baby monitor stopped holding a charge.  It worked fine as long as it was plugged into the wall, but wouldn't hard a charge when running on battery power.  I'd charge it fully, unplug it to carry around with me while baby napped, and the battery would die way too fast - sometimes only 20-30 minutes from fully charged to completely dead.  Luckily, that is an easy and cheap (~$10) fix - you just need to replace the battery, which you can order inexpensively on Amazon.  This is the exact battery I ordered, which has held up well for over a year now.  Unscrew the battery cover on the back of the parent console, remove the old battery, and insert the new battery.  Problem solved!

Fix #2 - Parent Console Doesn't Recognize Charging Cable

I was NOT pleased when, this week, the parent console started not recognizing the charging cord being plugged in!  (The charge cord was plugged in, but the battery symbol in the top right corner didn't show that it was charging.)  This meant that, once the existing battery power was drained, the monitor couldn't be used either plugged in or running on battery power!  After talking to friends and reading online, I found that this is a common failure point - sometimes you can wiggle or prop the charging cord just right to get the monitor to recognize it, but it loses contact repeatedly, resulting in the baby monitor dying after the battery runs out.  

I am nothing if not stubborn, so I refused to resort straight to buying a new baby monitor!  Cue more research....apparently Motorola baby monitors in particular tend to have poor solder joints on the charge port; over time, repeatedly plugging and unplugging the charge cord over the years puts strain on and loosens these solder joints, eventually causing them to fail.  How long this takes varies depending on the quality of the original solder and the use of the baby monitor (how often the cord is plugged and unplugged from the parent console, etc.)  Apparently, at 3.5 years of daily use, ours lasted longer than many!  

Based on the symptoms, it sounded like this is what had happened to my monitor - the charge port had come un-soldered.  Before taking apart the monitor to confirm, I reached out to a local computer repair shop to see if they had someone who could re-solder the charge port if that was, indeed, the issue (emphasizing that it was a tiny part).  When he confirmed he could help, I then got brave enough to open up the baby monitor to take a look!  

Using a tiny Phillips head screwdriver, I first removed the plastic battery cover on the back of the parent console, removed the battery pack, and then removed the second screw located underneath the battery.  I then used a tiny flat head screwdriver to gently pry open the baby monitor along the seam around the outside edge.  This took a bit of finagling to locate exactly where the fasteners were located, but I was eventually able to gently pry the front and back of the baby monitor apart, revealing the circuit board.  As soon as I did this, a small part fell right out of the inside of the monitor - sure enough, it was the charge port!  The solder joints had come completely undone, resulting in the port being totally loose inside there - no wonder it wasn't working!  

I took the loose charge port and the disassembled parent console to the computer repair shop, where they re-soldered the charge port onto the circuit board.  I put everything back together again - snapped the 2 sides of the baby monitor back in place, and replaced the 2 screws and battery pack, and presto - the baby monitor now recognizes the charge cord!  This repair cost around $50 for the solder job; considering a new baby monitor system with 2 cameras would have run around $200, going the repair route was a significant cost savings, kept a baby monitor and 2 cameras out of the landfill, and saved me the hassle of programming and re-wiring new cameras!

Toddler 101: Traveling with a Preschooler (Airplane / Road Trip Bag Ideas!)

We have several upcoming trips that will involve flying with our preschooler and infant, so I am stocking up on kid supplies for the flight!  C got a Pottery Barn Kids backpack for Christmas, so I'm planning to fill it with snacks and entertainment to keep him busy (and hopefully quiet) on the plane!  

While we own all of the items below, I didn't buy them all just for this flight!  We've acquired some of these over the years for other flights, road trips, Christmas gifts, etc; I keep them stored away in a closet so they maintain their novelty factor on airplanes or long road trips :)

My Little World Sticker Books - these sticker books are great - the price point (~$3) is great for the quality and the number of pages/stickers in these books.  Most cheap sticker books only have 1-2 pages of sticker activities and are tiny; these are a normal children's book size, provide several pages of activities, and the pages are coated so that you can move the stickers around.  

Make-an-Animal Sticker Sheets - these come in a 96-pack and are the cheap 1-page, smaller sticker sheets; however, these are great for "quantity over quality" - C can complete one and then move onto an entirely different animal.

Color Wonder Travel Kit - I love Color Wonder - mess-free markers that only work on the special Color Wonder paper!  No stressing over marker getting on the airplane seat!  This one is great because it comes in a hard plastic travel kit; you can store the Color Wonder markers and paper inside, and there are clips on the outside to secure the paper.  These are also great for road trips when there's no tray table to use - perfect for coloring in their lap!  There are blank Color Wonder pages for free drawing, as well as character-themed Color Wonder pages for coloring.  

Melissa & Doug Water WOW Books - these are great for travel - the fun of paint without the mess!  The little water paintbrushes are easy to refill at a water fountain or from an airline cup of water, and the pages dry quickly so they can be painted and re-painted!

Contigo Kids Water Bottle - I pack this in C's backpack so we can fill it at a water fountain after going through security, instead of buying overpriced airport bottled water.  I also like that it is spill-proof, so I don't have to worry about him knocking over an entire bottle of water on himself, me, or our bags!

Wipe-clean ABC book - this is great for practicing letter tracing, and the marker easily wipes off with a baby wipe!  This book is a compact size with sturdy pages and several opportunities to trace each letter (both lower and uppercase) on each page.

I Spy 4-in-1 Book - C loves doing these I Spy books, and they provide a great opportunity for independent play.  I like this one because it has 4 books in 1, which is both less expensive than buying the 4 books separately but also occupies him for longer since there are 4 times as many pages.

LilGadgets Volume Limited Headphones - these headphones are great because the volume is limited to a safe level, so I don't have to worry that he's damaging his hearing.  There is also an extra jack for another set of headphones to plug into the child's headphones (a parent or a sibling), so two people can listen to the same audio simultaneously.  Although we REALLY try to limit iPad use, we usually bring it on long road trips or flights for times of desperation - we load it with episodes of Daniel Tiger, a movie or two from Netflix, and a few children's audiobooks.

Wet Ones Resealable Antibacterial Wipes - I never go anywhere without these!  I like these slim, flat, resealable packages - I keep them in my car, purse, diaper bag, and there will most definitely be several packs coming on the plane with us! These are great for wiping hands before and after snacks or meals, as well as wiping down the germy airplane armrests and tray table.

And all the snacks!  I usually bring small bags of goldfish, small boxes of raisins, and Dum-Dums for a treat (and to help with little ears popping!)

Valentine's Day for Preschoolers FREE Printables

I love holidays!

Valentine's Day is on the horizon and I'm finally learning to plan ahead!   A couple of years ago, I didn't realize that 18 MONTH OLDS (!!) exchanged valentines until a list of names came home from school the DAY before, of course when B was out of town, and I was left scrambling!

This year, I'm making Valentines well in advance.  I know my years are numbered when I can convince them to hand out healthy-ish/non-candy items with their valentines, so I am taking advantage while I can!   Valentine puns are my FAVORITE.

Baby M is giving her classmates applesauce pouches (I'm buying organic GoGo Squeeze pouches), and I'm using these AWESOME-sauce Valentines.  (See bottom of this post for a link to the full-resolution PDF files for printing)

C keeps going back and forth between glow sticks and yogurt-covered raisins, so I'm prepared for both outcomes :)  

If you want to use any of these free printables, click below for links to the full-resolution PDF files.  I printed mine on normal letter-size white cardstock (they'll print 6 to a page).  For the awesome-sauce and glow stick printables, there are 2 versions linked below - one addressed to "Valentine", and one with a blank space to write in a name.

Click here for the AWESOME-sauce printable

Click here for the AWESOME-sauce printable with space to write in a name

Click here for the glow stick printable

Click here for the glow stick printable with space to write in a name

Click here for the raisin printable

Click here for a link to the valentine we used last year with Goldfish crackers (it would also work with Swedish fish or Goldfish Grahams!)

Mom Hack: Clothesline + Sun = Ultimate Stain Remover

 Oh, laundry.  It NEVER ends.  Add to that the fact that both of my kids are/were MAJOR spitter-uppers, and the quantity of stained clothing/bibs/blankets/sheets/burp cloths is insane.  It wasn't so bad during the first 6 months when it's just milk spit-up, but ever since baby food and solids came into the picture (and even now, in the preschool years), we have had a ton of hard-to-beat stains.  I tried lots of Pinterest tricks - rubbing the stain directly with Tide or Dreft detergent, Oxiclean spray, soaking in hot water with Oxiclean powder, Dawn + hydrogen peroxide + baking soda, etc - and they worked fine on surface-level or fresh stains but couldn't get out the tough stains, particularly red and orange ones - carrot puree, ketchup, spaghetti sauce, and the like, or - the worst - baby poop stains!

Enter: the sun.  The sun gets out ALL kinds of stains, but especially the tough ones!  Anytime I have stained laundry, I do my standard Oxiclean-spray-and-launder; if the stain is still there after a wash cycle, I let the sun do its thing - I just set the (wet) item in direct sunlight, and the sun bleaches out the stain (while not affecting any colored fabric or graphics).  Initially, I laid the stained clothes on our patio dining table, but then (since those got the clothes dirty again from sitting on an outdoor table) I'd have to rewash them after the sun got rid of the stain.  Also, in the height of the baby food stain stage, I didn't have enough surface area on our table for all the stained clothes!  

I eventually invested in an inexpensive clothesline; it is retractable, so when it's not in use, it's unobtrusively hidden by a gutter downspout in our backyard (B's biggest hesitation with getting a clothesline was that it would be visible all the time).  

I also bought wood clothespins and this hanging clothespin bag, which hangs on the clothesline for easier access to pins while I'm hanging up or taking down laundry (instead of bending down to get them out of a basket on the ground).  

This has saved me SO much time and energy using different stain removal products, scrubbing stains with a toothbrush, and washing and re-washing - now, the stains are gone by the time the item dries in the sun!

Have you tried using the sun to get rid of tough stains?  Try it, you'll be amazed!

Toddler 101: Potty Training

Oh, potty training.  This was definitely the hardest parenting task to date, and by no means was it successful.  I am not writing this down as a "how-to", so much as a recap of our experience so I can remember for our next kiddo.

We tried the Lora Jensen 3-day potty training method when C was just shy of 2.5 years old.  This method basically involves cutting out diapers cold-turkey, putting your child in underwear 24/7 (including while sleeping) for 3 days, and constantly reminding them to let you know when they need to go potty.  Unlike some 3-day methods, you do NOT put them on the toilet every "X" minutes to "try". 

There were a LOT of accidents.  A lot.  Some of my friends (mostly with girls) said it "clicked" with their kiddos after the first day, and the number of accidents drastically decreased.  That was not our experience!  After 3 days, he did not have a single successful potty episode - every single #1 and #2 was an accident. 

It was so helpful to have done this while he was still sleeping in a crib, since the crib mattress is waterproof (no worries about soaking through to the mattress) and crib sheets are SO much easier to change than mattress pads, sheets, and bedding on a larger bed.

Some supplies that were critical for this endeavor:

• Potty seat (we used The First Years seat)
• At least 14 pairs of underwear (we were still doing laundry daily!)
• Folex (or other carpet/rug cleaner)
• Disinfecting spray, like Clorox Clean-up (for hard surfaces)
• A pile of rags for cleaning up accidents
• Old towels or disposable incontinence pads for every absorbent furniture surface (i.e., upholstered couch)
• Oxiclean spray for #2 accidents
• Plastic bags for containing soiled clothing in case of an accident in public - we used the Munchkin bag dispenser
• Kandoo flushable wipes (toilet paper works but this works better IMO)
• Juice or some other "enticing" drink to increase fluid intake
• Waterproof liner for carseat (this one is approved for use with Britax carseats, which is what C uses)  *please do not use a liner unless it is made by your car seat manufacturer and approved for use with their carseats!  These are crash tested by the manufacturer to ensure they are safe and are only compatible with the car seats they are tested on!
• Treats for rewards (we used mini M&Ms for #1 successes and mini Milky Ways for #2s)

We did at least one load of laundry daily consisting solely of underwear, rags, towels, and crib sheets.  After 3 days, we did see SOME improvement - although he was still having accidents frequently, he was staying dry for long periods during nap and at night (when normally he was a heavy wetter while sleeping). 

Unfortunately, starting on day 4, we had to return to work (and C to daycare) so it was into a pull-up he went.  The 3-day method discourages the use of pull-ups, but we didn't have much choice - he was nowhere CLOSE to being able to go to school in underwear.  At this time, he was the only child in his class working on potty training, so we weren't getting much help from school (there wasn't the "peer pressure" aspect since all the other kids were in diapers).  However, anytime he was at home, he was in underwear - including naptime.  We did make him "try" to use the bathroom before nap to minimize the chances of an accident in his crib.

Things slowly started clicking, and within 2 weeks, he was regularly telling us when he needed to go to the bathroom and having fewer accidents.  Luckily, around this same time, he switched to the older preschool classroom at school which was FULL of kids potty training - so he was encouraged to use the potty at school by all of his friends doing the same. It was a slow and steady process - and there were a lot of mini M&Ms and Milky Ways consumed - but he was fully daytime potty-trained in about a month.

After the initial 3-day method, we decided to hold off on overnight potty training - after several weeks, he was still having accidents every night and just wasn't ready.  Since he was moving into a big boy bed with baby #2 on the way, I couldn't handle changing sheets daily (they're so much harder to change than crib sheets!)  He turned 3 a month ago and still wears a pull-up at night, although he wakes up dry about 75% of the time now, so he is getting there on his own without any effort on our part.  

Toddler 101: Learning the Alphabet

Note: this is not a sponsored post - I borrowed this DVD from the public library and was not compensated in any way :)

At around 2.5 years old, C had long known the alphabet song and had started expressing interest in identifying letters ("what letter is that?"); however, he had NO patience to sit still while I tried to draw letters and teach him their names.  At first I chalked it up to him not really being ready, but he continued to ask me what letters were on signs, book covers, and labels.  

Somehow I came across the Leapfrog Letter Factory DVD while browsing Amazon one day and started reading reviews; there were SO many positive reviews that claimed their toddlers had learned to identify all the letters of the alphabet, as well as their sounds, purely from watching the DVD.  We are SUPER strict about C's screen time (exception: on airplanes, anything goes) - most weeks he he has absolutely no TV or iPad time, but we occasionally let him watch an episode of Daniel Tiger or Bubble Guppies (like when he gets his hair cut).  I wasn't a huge fan of the idea of him "learning" from a DVD, but I discovered our public library had a copy of the DVD and figured it was worth checking it out from the library for free.

The storyline of the movie is cute - the "letter factory" is where letters go to learn their sounds, and in the factory there is a room for each letter of the alphabet where the letters learn what to say ("the A says 'aaaah').  C LOVED the DVD - he laughs hysterically in the "I" room when the "icky" pen explodes.  As soon as it's over, he begs to watch it again.  As suggested by many of the Amazon reviews, we did let him watch the 30-minute DVD repeatedly for 1-2 weeks - I'm talking 4-5 times a week, which is WAY more screen time than he has ever had before, but I wanted to see if the content of the DVD would sink in (this is also when we painted the walls in his big boy room, so it was a great 30-minute distraction that I didn't feel totally guilty about). 

I was SHOCKED at how quickly he picked up on the material; after a couple of weeks of frequent watching, he could identify all of the (uppercase) letters of the alphabet by sight and also knew their "sound".  It has now been several weeks since he's watched the DVD, and he seems to have retained the material - he can still name all their letters and their sounds, and is so proud of himself when he can tell us the letters in a book title.  This DVD was a much faster (and for him, more enjoyable) way to learn the alphabet than me trying to teach it to him.  I initially checked it out (and renewed several times) from the library, but since it has been so effective and is only $7 on Amazon, I think it is worth the investment!

The one limitation with the DVD (if you can have complaints about a 2.5 year old knowing the alphabet and corresponding sounds) is that it focuses on uppercase letters only, so he still cannot recognize any of the lowercase letters which look different from their uppercase counterparts (b, d, e, g, h, q, r, etc.)  

Now that he is so comfortable with uppercase letters, I bought some Crayola ABC flashcards at Dollar Tree which have both the uppercase and lowercase letter on one side, and a picture starting with that letter on the opposite side.  (I couldn't find them new on Amazon, but here's what they look like -- and it appears they're available through some Amazon third party sellers if you can't find them at your local Dollar Tree.)  I punched a hole in the top corner of each card, mixed up the order, and put them on a binder ring so we can keep track of them and flip through them to practice letters.  Since he already knows the uppercase letters, he is much more eager about doing the flash card approach than he was pre-Letter Factory.  With them contained on the binder ring, they are easy to stash in my purse to occupy C while we wait at the doctor or at a restaurant.

All kids learn in different ways and at different stages/ages, but this has worked really well for us!

3 Year Old Birthday Gift Ideas

I always struggle with birthday gifts for kids!  I find myself scouring Pinterest and Amazon recommendations trying to find some ideas, both for my own son and for his friends' birthdays.  Here are some of our favorite gifts for 3 year olds, both to give and receive!

1.  Golf Set

My in-laws gifted C this Little Tikes TotSports Golf Set, and he loves it! It comes with 3 golf balls, a hole, 2 golf clubs, and a wheeled golf "bag".  He loves playing golf, and I love that it is developing his coordination!  There is a pink version of the golf set too, if that's your thing.

2.  Magformers

Magformers are my go-to birthday gift for all of C's friends (both boys and girls).  They make a classic (primary color) set, as well as a neon set and a girly (pink/purple) set.  This is a great starter set!

3.  Magnet Shape Board

C received this Mindware Imagination Magnet Board from my college roommate's parents, and it is so fun!  It would be great for travel (road trips?) too, since the pieces are magnetic and contained within the carrying case.  The case opens up to reveal 2 magnet boards; included are different magnetic shapes and cards that depict various puzzles for your kiddo to create.  This is another one that falls into the "educational but fun" category!

4.  Play Place Gift Card

C is really into activities these days, especially play places!  National chains like Gymboree or The Little Gym, as well as local places like Play Street Museum and The Play Date Co., all provide fun imaginative play for preschoolers.  This is a great gift that doesn't take up room in your house!!

5.  Books

We can never have enough books!  Some of C's current favorites are Dragons Love Tacos (and the sequel, Dragons Love Tacos 2) and The Day the Crayons Quit (and the sequel, The Day the Crayons Came Home).  On his wish list are Adam Rubin's other books (author of Dragons Love Tacos), Those Darn Squirrels, Secret Pizza Party, and Robo-Sauce.

Although these books are all gender-neutral, there are a few I especially love to gift to girls!  Rosie Revere, Engineer, What Do You Do With an Idea?, and The Most Magnificent Thing.

6.  Dress-Up / Pretend Play

Dress up isn't just for girls!  I love the Melissa & Doug dress-up sets - they come with adorable costumes and props, including several that little boys will love!  The fireman, police officer, construction worker, doctor, race car driver, pilot, and pirate costumes are great for pretend play!

7.  Play Tools

This Black & Decker tool box and this play drill get tons of play from C when we are at our local play place, so I had to get him some to play with at home, too.  He loves to "fix" things around the house.

8.  Doodle Pro

This one is a throwback to my own childhood, except I think they were called MagnaDoodles back then.  C loves his Doodle Pro - mostly the ability to draw something and erase it, over and over and over.  I like that the magnetic "pen" is attached, and the 4 magnet shapes all have designated storage spots, so we never lose the components.

9.  Dot Art

These dot art markers are really fun and provide a different art format for preschoolers!  While we usually use our dot markers on plain paper, there is also a line of coloring books especially made for use with dot markers - plenty of themes for boys and girls, including rainbows, mermaids, farm animals, princesses, ocean, zoo animals, and dinosaurs.

10.  Mini Trampoline

We got C this Little Tikes 3' Trampoline for his 3rd birthday - with a summer birthday, it is a great way to run off some energy indoors!  It was easy to assemble and doesn't take up TOO much room.  I like that the handlebar provides added stability.

Toddler 101: FREE Home Depot Kids' Workshops

Did you know that Home Depot offers a FREE Kids' Workshop on the first Saturday of every month?  I am so excited that C is old enough to participate in the Home Depot Kids' Workshops now!  In my opinion, 2.5 years old and up is age-appropriate for this activity (with a parent's help!)

The Kids' Workshops are generally held from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM on Saturday mornings, but check with your local Home Depot to verify the schedule.  At our Home Depot, they are held in the lumber section of the store, although when the weather is nice I have also seen them set up outside the front of the store, too.  Some Home Depots request that you register online for the Kids' Workshop, but at ours, you just show up.  

Check in at the table, where they'll give each child a (FREE) Home Depot orange apron and project kit. Home Depot sets up a super long, low table with upside-down 5-gallon buckets to use as stools.  Grab a spot and open the project kit, which contains the supplies needed to make each project - instructions, wood, nails, stickers, etc.  Hammers, paint, wood glue, and other shareable supplies are available on the table to use.  It is so cute seeing all the kids in their orange aprons hammering away (many with their dads)!  If you don't have time to do the project (or finish), you can take the project kit home - as long as you have some basic tools and supplies (hammer, paint, etc.), most of the other supplies are included.

One of my favorite parts is that each kid gets a lapel pin unique to each monthly project they create; they can put these pins on their orange apron for the following month to show their Kids' Workshop "street cred". :)  Some of the elementary school-aged kids had dozens and dozens of pins on their aprons from past months!  

Via

C has participated the past two months and loved it both times!  He made a birdhouse-shaped rain gauge in March and a bunny-shaped box in April.  The first Saturday of the month coincides with my moms' Bible study, so it is a great activity to occupy C and daddy while I'm out!

If you're interested in the schedule for the rest of 2017, here it is (and a terrible photocopy of the project pictures):

May 6, 2017 - Flower PlanterJune 3, 2017 - Tic Tac Toe GameJuly 1, 2017 - Bug HouseAugust 5, 2017 - PENSKE TruckSeptember 2, 2017 - Pencil HolderOctober 7, 2017 - Fire House BankNovember 4, 2017 - HumveeNovember 25, 2017 - Christmas Tree OrnamentDecember 2, 2017 - Gingerbread HouseJanuary 6, 2018 - Block Calendar